Steam Controller Quickly Goes Out Of Stock After Payment Processing Issues Plague Release
Valve’s new Steam Controller launched on May 4 and sold out in approximately 30 minutes, but the rapid sell-out was accompanied by significant technical difficulties on the Steam platform.
The controller became available for purchase at 1 PM ET on Steam for $99. While some customers were able to complete their orders immediately, the high volume of purchase requests triggered widespread payment processing errors. Many users encountered an error message stating: “There seems to have been an error initializing or updating your transaction. Please wait a minute and try again or contact support for assistance.”
The launch caused major disruptions to the Steam Store itself, with Downdetector reporting a massive spike in error reports coinciding with the 1 PM ET release time. The store experienced intermittent outages and usability issues throughout the launch period. Initial inventory sold out within 30 minutes, though stock briefly returned approximately 15 minutes later before selling out again immediately.
The high demand quickly created opportunities for resellers. Controllers listed on eBay immediately began selling for significantly elevated prices, with some reaching $300—a 200% markup from the official $99 retail price.
This is Valve’s second attempt at a PC gamepad, following their original Steam Controller from 2015. The new model adapts the haptic trackpads from the Steam Deck into a more traditional gamepad form factor and introduces new features including Grip Sense, a touch-activated gyro control method. The launch demonstrated both strong consumer demand for the product and the infrastructure challenges that high-volume hardware releases present for digital storefronts.